CHAPTER 13

Ashton couldn’t believe what her friend said, but didn’t say anything. He whispers something, but they don’t hear. Dakota just looked away from him and focused her attention on Chef Ivo, who was just sitting on the chair made of wood and cloth that Ashton had brought. According to this and that’s really for their Chef Ivo. Ivo crossed his arms over his chest while looking at them.

When their eyes met, Dakota immediately looked away. She removed some pieces of hair blocking her face and tucked them behind her ear. She felt embarrassed because she didn’t expect him to look at her too. And another thing she wonders about is why her heart beats every time she and Ivo look at each other. There is something that looks like a rat running on her chest. Dakota couldn’t explain why that happened.

It was evening when they decided to put away their belongings because they were going home. Ivo helped put away their belongings and put them inside the car. They didn’t do anything but talk and eat, but she felt tired and her body was very tired. Dakota took a deep breath and looked at the blue and pink sky. She hugged herself. She felt a strange sadness again while staring at the vast sky.

Dakota didn’t know why she felt like that and why she seemed to cry. Does that have a connection to her true personality? Did something happen to her that made her feel that emotion? She tried to remember somehow, but her head only hurt, causing her to catch it. Dakota closed her eyes because of the pain.

“Dakota, why?”

She was just surprised when she felt Liam touch her shoulder, who was behind her earlier. Dakota didn’t know what to answer because her head hurt. He supports her until she gets into Ivo’s car.

“Why? What happened to her?”

“Suddenly, she grabbed her head and then it seemed like she was going to fall.” The two spoke softly, as if to avoid disturbing her.

“Willow, doesn’t she have medicine for her headache?” asked Ivo.

“Y-yes, Chef, but I don’t know if she brought it today.”

“Please check,” said Ivo.

Dakota opened her eyes slightly and saw that he was in the driver’s seat, looking at her. A few moments later and he was adjusting her seat so that it could be slightly slanted and her place in the car would be comfortable. As Ivo was so close to her, she could smell his fragrant perfume. It stings her sense of smell. The smell does not hurt the nose. Actually, it’s the former’s strength. Ivo is mainly because of the perfume he uses.

“Dakota, do you want us to take you to the hospital?” he asked her.

She shook her head. “Not anymore, Chef Ivo. It will also disappear later.”

He looked at her with wide eyes, as if he was full of concern for her. Dakota didn’t know if it was because her head hurt so much that she seemed to be imagining something. She closed her eyes.

“Are you sure?”

Dakota guess that she was just playing with her hearing because Ivo’s question to her seemed so sweet and full of concern. She forced her eyes open and was stunned for a moment when she realized that he was still looking at her like that. “Y-yes.”

She was even more surprised when he raised a palm and touched her head. Dakota knew that her face showed much surprise at what he was doing. She swallowed. Ivo’s face was very close to hers. He just adjusted his seat when Wendy approached who was outside the car.

“Chef Ivo. She doesn’t have her medicine here in her bag.”

“She didn’t bring it?” He looked at her. “Why don’t you bring your medicine? That is important to you.”

“I didn’t know that my head would hurt. Suddenly it hurt.” She felt her own head. It was just a bit painful, and she knew it would go away when she rested while they are on the way home.

“I’ll take you to the hospital.”

“Not anymore, Chef. I’ll be fine later. I’m just resting while you are driving.” Dakota gave him a reassuring look so he wouldn’t worry if that was how he felt.

He just looked at her, then nodded slowly. A few moments later, their other colleagues also boarded the car. The girls were in Ivo’s car while the boys were in Ashton’s car. It wasn’t long before they left the park and went on their way. During the entire trip, Dakota closed her eyes, but her spirit was awake. Her face was slightly facing the window. It’s getting dark so she can barely see anything outside except the street lights and cars.

“Do you want to eat?” Ivo asked that, but she didn’t know who it was for.

Dakota turned to it slowly. “Hmm?” she asked. She looked a little more at the companions in the passenger seat and saw that her three friends were asleep. “Am I?”

“Yes. do you want to eat? We can go to the restaurant we pass by so we can eat?”

“Maybe don’t, Chef,” she said, even though she could feel herself getting hungry. She will eat at home with her friends.

“If you’re thinking about Wendy, they’ll wake up when we get to the restaurant.”

Dakota just nodded, because it looked like she couldn’t do anything else. Her stomach is also cramping. She is really ashamed of Ivo because of what is happening. Dakota feels that she is becoming a burden to her companions, especially here. It didn’t take long, and that’s what they did. They passed by a restaurant and her female colleagues woke up.

They are going down one by one while she doesn’t know if she will go down or not. Ivo has not come down yet because he is still checking something on his cell phone. She’s still looking at it. Ivo doesn’t seem to notice her because his face is serious. Someone just knocked on the window so they looked at it at the same time. It was Ashton. She immediately got out of the car because he might say something to her again.

“Are you okay? Can you walk now?” Liam immediately asked Dakota.

“What do you think of her, Liam? Crippled?” Ashton asked with a laugh.

“Oh, that’s enough. Come on,” Kurt said, then pulled Ashton to go inside the restaurant first.

Willow, Wendy and Shane were already ahead, followed by Ashton because Shane was constantly preaching to their friend, who was always hot-tempered. Liam left her while looking at their colleagues. Dakota just looked at Liam when he spoke.

“Are you feeling well?” he asked.

“Yes. Thank you earlier.” She hadn’t been able to thank him yet, so she did it now.

“No need to mention it. Why did you have a headache? Did you get tired?”

Dakota was about to answer, but Ivo catch their attention who was behind them. Liam pulled back slightly so that Ivo could have a path between them. There seems to be something different in Ivo’s mood today. Dakota noticed that, but she just ignored him.

“Let’s go inside.” That’s all he said and walked forward. Liam and Dakota left and both are wondering.

“Let’s go,” Liam said, so they entered the restaurant.

Ivo sat in Dakota’s opposite chair while Liam was on her side. It was Ivo who ordered their food, and while they were waiting, their colleagues kept talking. Dakota, on the other hand, remains silent because she seems to have a bad feeling about the man in front of her. She had noticed earlier that Ivo was not in the mood and was not looking at her much. It’s okay that he doesn’t look at her. There’s no problem, but she just felt a pain in her heart.

Dakota immediately took a glass full of water and drank from it. She didn’t know if such a small thing should hurt her. Dakota seems to have a problem with herself because she is not aware of what is happening to her now.

The food arrived and was served to them. Dakota wanted to refuse when Liam put food on her plate. The problem is that she is too shy to rebuke it. She just smiled here. “That’s okay, Liam. Thank you,” she said.

“Are you sure? That’s just a little.”

“That’s okay,” ahe said and automatically looked at Ivo, who was now staring somewhere while holding the spoons and forks. She could also clearly see how his jaw clenched. Dakota was suddenly nervous about why Ivo acted like that. She suddenly felt fear and guilt.